Covered Bridge

[Jan]

The latest project. It's Bruce Worthington's Covered Bridge. The woods are aspen, western red cedar, blue pine, bloodwood, poplar and walnut.

The intarsia marathon continues....only another 29 projects to do.

Jan

[Catlyn]

That is just gorgeous. I love it. I love scenes like that, old bridges, houses or just woods, etc.
I love to paint or cross stitch scenes like that, too.

[hal smith]

another great project jan. only 29 to go? lol

[Jan]

Thanks, Catlyn and Tommy. Yeah, 29 to go before I can do stuff for my house again.

Jan

[Lou]

It's a beauty, Jan! You are one very busy gal! I couldn't keep up with you if I gave up my job, my music, and my housework! Go, Jan, Go!

Lou

[Jan]

Thanks, Lou. I really enjoy Bruce's patterns, even if he puts a zillion pieces in them. Fortunately, this one was easy to cut and didn't have a lot of pieces. The shaping took some thought.

Jan

[Sunlion]

Love the tones and gentleness of this piece Jan, very nice.

[Fran1942]

Nice Jan. Like Catlyn, I do like landscapes.
Fran

[scrolling_grandma]

I love covered bridges. That turned out nice. Good colors and I especially enjoy looking at your finish. I wish I could master the finishing like you have.

[ncsealeveler]

Beautiful work there,#1.
Tony

[Jan]

Thanks, Everyone!

@Tammy: The finish is Old Masters satin wipe-on poly. It is stone simple. Just brush or wipe it on, let it sit a couple of minutes and then wipe it off. Buff it with the paper towel until it glows, then put it down and let it dry. I use a 320 grit sanding mop to polish the piece, apply another coat and do all the same things. There are a total of 3 coats on the covered bridge.... all of which were applied before I assembled it on the backboard. That way is more time consuming, but very good for getting the pieces well covered with finish without creating buildup between the pieces that has to be cleaned out. The time spent buffing the finish with the sanding mop is the real secret. Let the finish dry for at least 24 hrs before doing that.

Give it a try, I think you'll like it.

Jan

[Anneh]

Jan
I love this one and your wood choice is perfect. I use the Old Masters Gel but have never tried the sanding mop. I think it's time to break down and get one. You do such beautiful pieces.

[scrolling_grandma]

Thanks for the guidance Jan. I don't currently own a sanding mop, but I think it is time to invest in one. Do you suggest a certain brand or grit?

[Jan]

You're welcome, Tammy. I don't think the brand matters as much as the grit, so get whatever fits your grinder. Since I use mine for polishing, I have 320 grit on it. Get the double width mop and be sure to break it in. Get out a piece of scrap wood, turn on the mop and spend enough time pushing the wood against it hard to soften the ends and make it look somewhat beat up. Once you've done that, the ends will be soft enough to polish the wood without affecting the shape.

I have a couple of other sanding mops in 220 grit that I use for rounding edges of things like puzzle pieces. Once I've done that, tho, it's back to the 320 grit mop to polish and finish.

Jan

[tgiro]

Elegant and great work, Jan

Good color choices.

Tony